1214 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



obtainable in certain localities along the Banks, and very uncertain ; 

 not obtainable more than once in three years in sufficient supply for 

 baiting purposes. The difference between the time occupied in baiting 

 in Newfoundland ports, and as United States vessels were accustomed 

 to bait formerly, was stated by Sparrow aforesaid, who last year went 

 in his vessel from the Banks to Cape Canso, where he spent three days 

 and a half, and was the same time in reaching that place. Not finding 

 bait there, he proceeded to St. Pierre, which took him one and a half 

 days. He remained there five days, but not getting bait he proceeded 

 to Conception Bay, N. F., where he got his bait in two and a half days 

 going there, he thus being 18 days iu procuring his fare of bait ; and he 

 further said that if he had come direct to Newfoundland for bait, he 

 would not have occupied one-third the time in obtaining his bait ; that 

 he had prosecuted the Bank fishery for fifteen years, and knew that the 

 general average of the time taken by vessels to procure their bait else- 

 where than on the Newfoundland shore has been twenty days. 



CHAELES JAMES BAENE3. 



Sworn before me, at St. John's, Newfoundland, this 5th day of Juue, 

 A. D. 1877. 



J. O. FRASER, 

 Commissioner of Affidavits. 



No. 96. 



PHILIP GROUCHY, aged C2 years, planter, residing at Pouch Cove, 

 Newfoundland, maketh oath and saith : 



I have become acquainted with the fisheries of Newfoundland since 

 I was 14 years of age, and know them in all their branches. I have 

 seen many United States fishing schooners on these shores; one only of 

 these schooners visited this harbor; the master's name was Mulloy, but 

 I did not hear the name of his vessel. He came here for fresh bait and 

 got fifty barrels caplin, which he got by hiring my seine and two men, 

 completing the crew from among his own men. For the use of the seine 

 and my man this Captain Mulloy paid four dollars, and one dollar to the 

 second shoreman working the seine. There was no ice-house here last 

 year, but there were plenty icebergs here about when Captain Mulloy 

 visited this harbor last year, and he said he expected to get what he 

 wanted from that source. I have heard that ice-houses are being put 

 up at Torbay for selling ice to United States fishermen. 



Newfoundland fishermen catch fish within three miles of the shore. 

 The Newfoundland cod-fishery is an inshore fishery. The capliu, her- 

 ring, and squid for bait are all caught inshore, taken in the coves and 

 creeks along shore. 



I never heard of a Newfoundland vessel engaging on a fishing voyage 

 on any of the coasts of the United States of America. 



United States fishermen regularly sell small codfish and cod-oil in 

 our harbors ; they did so in Torbay and St. John's. 



I am very certain that the supply of fresh bait to United States fish- 

 ing vessels will decrease the supply to local fishermen. Last year a very 

 heavy supply of herring bait iu Conception Bay to United States fisher- 

 men must have caused the scarcity we all suffered from, for we depend 

 upon Conception Bay for bait after the caplin, and we found herrings 

 and squids more scarce than formerly, We fishermen judge that this 

 scarcity of bait is owing to the operations of United States fishermen 

 in our bays and harbors. 



